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information on loans etc.

When the school counselor ( where our daughter went to school ) was asked where to look for this information her answer was............"oh, it's out there you just have to look for it". People were trying to find it but never having had to look before did not know where to start.

charly

"Well, you know even though I'm old my body should not be worn out.............I'm a lazy person so I never used it enough to wear it out"

Paul, I completely agree with everything you said, there are good teachers and bad teachers, good parents and bad parents, and good school administration and bad as well. To many parents think that teachers are just a convenient babysitter and are totally responsible for their child's education, and that's only part of the problem. The issues with public education are to numerous to list and I wouldn't even begin to think I could list all of them or even come up with solutions for half of them but the best place to start is at home and getting parents to be responsible for their child's education. This is a multi faceted problem facing the whole country and an issue that needs to be dealt with in a timely manner, an educated country will be a more productive and stable country. I believe we have the people that can fix the problems, we just need to keep the outside influences from getting in the way of the solutions!

Stan, Nobody should beat you up for your post, you should be proud of your work as a coach/educator. There are a lot of coaches out there who don't care about their players grades or futures, and if you helped one player improve his life after school you did more than many other coaches or educators even try to accomplish. But I would keep your helmet handy just in case.

Everyone has made good points, I haven't seen a single one that I disagree with so far. I would put parenting at the top of the list, it's hard work being a GOOD parent, but we owe it to the future of our children and the future of our world to turn out the best human beings possible to lead the next generations into the future. This is not meant to be disrespectful to the World War II generation, but there is no reason every generation shouldn't try to be known as the greatest generation by the following age groups.

Paul, when I mentioned about spending my first 4 years in NYC public schools & then moving to a small, rural school system ... I was the same student with the same family unit as before. Yet, the NYC public schools did not offer the same educational value.

Back then, they really didn't have parent-teacher conferences ... unless you were in trouble, that is! In neither situation did I have someone to help me with my homework, but it was expected that I would do it.

I don't recall my NYC teachers being particularly "bad", but the rural-school teachers presented more material and expected more of the students. Generally, there was also more discipline in the classroom as well.

Both schools were pretty much blue-collar make-up.

I will say that my home unit expected me to do my schoolwork, and that is certainly a factor, which many parents today don't seem to "require". My mother was a widow who worked 3 days/week. An unmarried uncle was also part of our "family unit." She travelled to NYC by train on Sunday night and returned on Wednesday night.

G.Clinchy@gmail.com"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim

​I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.

i think that the destruction of the family unit you know a mom and dad has caused most of our problems

I think we are looking for too-simple answers.

I'd say that there are more a combination of factors. Home environment, an inspiring teacher, a natural propensity to a work ethic, natural gifts (which can be physical or mental), some life-changing moments, flashes of insight. Some people who have had the worst outlooks can turn into remarkable achievers. Two children in the same family in a "deprived" life situation can turn out completely differently. We also see times when any one of those variables can outweigh all the others in spite of the adversity.

I think that one of the things we have failed at is in the effort to give all students self-esteem we praise them for what is easy for them, rather than what takes effort. Teachers and parents are only human, and they can misinterpret the concept of building self-esteem. Not every child will be capable of being a rocket scientist or a musician or an artist. And most of them are aware of when the praise is "robotic" and not based in some "fact".

G.Clinchy@gmail.com"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim

​I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.

I think that peer pressure is worse today. I don't know if anyone has touched on that or not but in this modern world our kids spend more time away from the parents/home than they used to so peer pressure
takes on more importance.

charly

"Well, you know even though I'm old my body should not be worn out.............I'm a lazy person so I never used it enough to wear it out"

As said previous, lack of parental guidance and care can and probably is the leading cause for inadequacy found in today's youth. I believe the person you are today reflects half nature and half nurture. Those who sit back and say America is going to hell in a handbasket have been reading too much senior propaganda. We are all part of a nation and we are all responsible for its upkeep. To me, an unwillingness to commit personal time and care have weakened our country. Road Kill, your actions are a coach are something I will strive for every day as a coach and educator. Major props to your selfless commitment to the betterment whole individuals, not just athletes. That type of commitment to excellence in all aspects of life is key to the success of the individuals and the team, no matter the talent level.

That said, I think public educators face a multitude of problems never seen by parents or citizens tearing at their lives. There is a reason more than 2/3 of teachers who graduate with a degree are not teaching 5 years down the road. Government intervention through the No Child Left Behind Act make it impossible for teachers to introduce anything fun. In order to keep jobs, some teach to tests. I say this to admit that there are good and bad teachers... as I sure there are in the private sector. A huge reason teachers get such a bad rep is because they put themselves at the mercy of terrible parents who either are way too involved in their kids' life or not at all.

As I have said before, if we want success as a nation we need to invest in its education. Everyone needs to make a decision to be motivated and strive for excellence that is not merely focused on the ME, and my chain, and my car, and my life... Once financial stability is secured, individuals need to make conscious efforts of getting involved in others lives to help train them. etc. That is why people like coaches are so important in the development into adult. Maybe I am just a young idealist and will have my eyes opened. Regardless, I know that education is a very challenging field and think that not enough respect is thrown that way.

Genesis 27:3 Now then, get your weapons--your quiver and bow--and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.

When the school counselor ( where our daughter went to school ) was asked where to look for this information her answer was............"oh, it's out there you just have to look for it". People were trying to find it but never having had to look before did not know where to start.

This drives me crazy. It is one of the (many) reasons that a child's education level depends on a parent's (most strongly, the mother's) education level.

Plus, the process is significantly more complicated compared to 20, 30 years ago. What colleges SAY matters on an application isn't what matters, what colleges say they cost isn't what they cost, what their scholarships are for aren't what they are for.....

Even if you think you know what you are looking for, it's not what you should really be looking for, but no one seems to want to share that. Counselors, teachers, and other parents who assume that kids and parents know the college process is one of my HUGE pet peeves.

My wife works at an elementary school that is widely regarded to be the bast in our city and a dang good school. People pay a premium when buying a house to get into this school zone.

Interestingly, the school population is about 50-50 in terms of socioeconomic status. The school has the reputation of teaching all children and doing its very best to get all children to reach their highest potential.

However, generally speaking, 50% of the kids show up for Kindergarten or first grade pretty much already knowing how to read, how to spell/write their names, how to count, colors, etc. The other half in a lot of cases has absolutely none of this. And we wonder why the latter half has a hard time keeping up with the former half.

I'm always reminded of the opening paragraphs of Mike Lardy's articles where the owner is dropping off the wild pup and says "I didn't do anything with the pup because I was scared to ruin it." How many of these kids are "ruined" because they can't get back the 6 most important years of their lives?

This sounds terrible, but remember that public school teachers, even the good ones, are stuck with the responsibility of preparing a gourmet meal without the luxury of being able to shop for the groceries. And no chef alive can take chicken mess and make chicken salad out of it.